This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The top 10 sports stories of 2011
1. Jerry Sloan retires.
On Feb. 10, Sloan stepped down as head coach. So did top assistant Phil Johnson. Midway through his 23rd season, Sloan cited fatigue, but many suspected weariness from his contentious relationship with All-Star Deron Williams. Whatever the cause, Sloan's unexpected decision shook the franchise to its core.
2. Deron Williams traded.
Thirteen days after Sloan resigned, Utah traded Williams to New Jersey for Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, two first-round draft picks and $3 million. Why? The Jazz were certain Williams wouldn't re-sign with them in 2012. Team officials, and even some teammates, also had grown weary of the all-star point guard's corrosive moodiness.
3. Jimmermania.
Jimmer Fredette was mostly a locally-known college basketball star until the night of Jan. 11 when his 47-point scoring outburst against Utah included a halfcourt shot, 32 first-half points and a collection of his trademark circus-like shots. The performance propelled him to national prominence and turned him into a YouTube obsession.
4. Brandon Davies dismissed from BYU for honor code violation.
BYU's men's basketball team was in the top five and coming off a rousing 80-67 win at San Diego State when on March 1 the school announced it would no longer allow star center Brandon Davies to represent it on the court due to an undisclosed honor code violation that The Salt Lake Tribune later learned was for having premarital sex. Davies returned to the team in October.
5. Utah officially joins Pac-12.
The Utes celebrated their move to the Pac-12 on July 1, the day they officially became a member of the conference (the invitation came a year earlier). Utah athletic director Chris Hill said his school wasn't going to back down from the challenge presented by joining a BCS conference and called the move a "new era."
6. NBA lockout.
From July 1 to Dec. 8 the league's doors were closed. Jazz coaches and executives couldn't talk to players; fans couldn't watch games; and complex collective bargaining agreement terminology replaced points, rebounds and wins. How u?
7. Utah State wins seven regular season football games for first time since 1979.
A USU team that lost last-minute heart-breakers to Auburn, BYU, Colorado State and Fresno State early in the season rallied to win five of its last six games to qualify for a bowl for the first time since 1997. The Aggies lost to Ohio in the Famous Potato Bowl, but their 7-6 finish was the program's best in years.
8. Jake Heaps transfers from BYU.
Considered the nation's top high school quarterback among in 2010 by many, Jake Heaps came to Provo with more promise than any athlete in school history, and started 10 games his freshman year. But he struggled in his first five starts of 2011, and was benched in favor of junior Riley Nelson. He announced he was transferring Dec. 5, winding up Kansas.
9. Jim Boylen fired, Larry Krystkowiak hired at Utah
Two days after the Runnin' Utes lost to San Diego State in the MWC Tournament to finish with a 13-18 record, Boylen was fired as the Utes' coach after four seasons. Krystkowiak was introduced as Utah's new head basketball coach on April 4, 2011. Previously a head coach at Montana and with the Milwaukee Bucks, Krystkowiak is the Utes' 15th head coach.
10. Weber State and former Utah football coach Ron McBride retires.
After seven years at Weber State, following 12 years at Utah, the 72-year-old McBride announced his retirement towards the end of the Wildcats' 2011 season. The well-loved McBride laid the foundation for Utah's football program before being fired in 2002 and turned around Weber's woebegone football program before stepping down.